Method for monitoring and tracking identified material in fillable receptacles

Abstract

A method for monitoring and tracking identified material in at least one fillable receptacle in at least one facility. The method includes installing at least one sensor with an ultrasonic transducer or a laser or both in one of the fillable receptacles, creating a customer profile with a fillable receptacle location, a quantity of fillable receptacles and a preset height limit for each fillable receptacle, and activating the sensor to repeatedly transmit an ultrasonic signal or light pulse into the receptacles and calculate remaining empty space then comparing remaining empty space to the preset height limits to determine whether the fillable receptacle is full. Fillable receptacle locations are aggregated into a route and a driver is alerted to download the route, enabling drivers to pick up filled fillable receptacles and remove identified material at the fillable receptacle locations using the route.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for monitoring and tracking remaining empty space in at least one fillable receptacle in at least one facility, the method comprising:
 a. installing a sensor consisting of: an ultrasonic transducer and a microprocessor with a microprocessor data storage connected to a power supply in a fillable receptacle at a facility, the microprocessor of the sensor further connected to a network; 
 b. creating a customer profile in an administrative data storage connected to an administrative processor connected to the network, the customer profile consisting of: a customer name, a customer address, a customer location at a facility, at least one fillable receptacle location at the facility, a quantity of fillable receptacles, and a preset height limit for each fillable receptacle to determine remaining empty space; 
 c. actuating the sensor having the ultrasonic transducer to transmit an ultrasonic signal and receive a reflected signal and use the reflected signal and computer instructions in the microprocessor data storage to instruct the sensor microprocessor to calculate an initial fillable receptacle height for the fillable receptacle and determine remaining empty space; 
 d. using the sensor to repeatedly transmit ultrasonic signals and receive reflected signals as the fillable receptacle is filled with identified material; 
 e. using computer instructions in the microprocessor data storage to instruct the sensor microprocessor to calculate a height of space of the fillable receptacle without identified material as remaining empty space using the reflected signals, and transmit the remaining empty space to the administrative processor via the network; 
 f. using computer instructions in the administrative data storage to instruct the administrative processor to compare the calculated remaining empty space to the preset height limits to determine whether the fillable receptacle is ready for a pick up based on remaining empty space; 
 g. using computer instructions in the administrative data storage to instruct the administrative processor to aggregate fillable receptacle locations at the facility and compute a route of aggregated fillable receptacle locations at the facility; and 
 h. using computer instructions in the administrative data storage to instruct the administrative processor to transmit the route to a client device of a driver connected to the network showing traffic problems enabling a driver to pick up ready fillable receptacles and remove the identified material at fillable receptacle locations. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a modem, a real time clock, and a connection to a power supply. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a unique sensor identifier, and using computer instructions in the administrative data storage to instruct the administrative processor to authenticate and map communication from each sensor to one of the customer profiles. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the authenticated and mapped communication is bidirectionally encrypted. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the route comprises a downloadable map with the fillable receptacle locations identified on the downloadable map. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , comprising the step of inputting financial information and a financial preset date for payment into the at least one customer profile, and using computer instructions in the administrative data storage to instruct the administrative data processor to automatically generate a customer bill and initiate automatic funds transfer for the customer bill on the financial preset date. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identified material includes at least one of: shredded paper, waste, and liquids. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one fillable receptacle location comprises a longitude coordinate and a latitude coordinate. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , comprising installing a plurality of additional sensors each sensor in a refillable receptacle at a facility, each additional sensor having either an ultrasonic transducer or a laser and a microprocessor with a microprocessor data storage connected to a network. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1  comprising using computer instructions in the administrative data storage to instruct the administrative processor to transmit an alert to the client device of a driver to download the computed route of the aggregated fillable receptacle locations prior to transmitting the route to the client device of the driver. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the alert is at least one of: a text message, an audible alarm, an email, and a push notification. 
     
     
       12. A method for monitoring and tracking remaining empty space in at least one fillable receptacle in at least one facility, the method comprising:
 a. installing a sensor consisting of: a laser and a microprocessor with a microprocessor data storage connected to a power supply in a fillable receptacle at a facility, the microprocessor of the sensor further connected to a network; 
 b. creating a customer profile in an administrative data storage connected to an administrative processor connected to the network, the customer profile consisting of: a customer name, a customer address, a customer location at a facility, at least one fillable receptacle location at the facility, a quantity of fillable receptacles, and a preset height limit for each fillable receptacle to determine remaining empty space; 
 c. actuating the sensor having a laser to transmit an light pulse and receive a reflected pulse and use the reflected pulse and computer instructions in the microprocessor data storage to instruct the sensor microprocessor to calculate an initial fillable receptacle height for the fillable receptacle and determine remaining empty space; 
 d. using the sensor to repeatedly transmit the light pulse and receive reflected pulses as the fillable receptacle is filled with identified material; 
 e. using computer instructions in the microprocessor data storage to instruct the sensor microprocessor to calculate a height of space of the fillable receptacle without identified material as remaining empty space using the reflected signals and transmit the remaining empty space to the administrative processor via the network; 
 f. using computer instructions in the administrative data storage to instruct the administrative processor to compare the calculated remaining empty space to the preset height limits to determine whether the fillable receptacle is ready for a pick up based on remaining empty space; 
 g. using computer instructions in the administrative data storage to instruct the administrative processor to aggregate fillable receptacle locations at the facility and compute a route of aggregated fillable receptacle locations at the facility; 
 h. using computer instructions in the administrative data storage to instruct the administrative processor transmit the route to a client device of a driver connected to the network showing traffic problems enabling a driver to pick up ready fillable receptacles and remove the identified material at fillable receptacle locations. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the sensor comprises a modem, a real time clock, and a connection to a power supply. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the sensor comprises a unique sensor identifier, which enables the administrative processor to use computer instructions in the administrative data storage to instruct the administrative processor to authenticate and map communication from each sensor to one of the customer profiles. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the authenticated and mapped communication is bidirectionally encrypted. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the route comprises a downloadable map with the fillable receptacle locations identified on the downloadable map. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 12 , comprising the step of inputting financial information and a financial preset date for payment into the at least one customer profile using computer instructions in the administrative data storage to instruct the administrative data processor to automatically generate a customer bill and initiate automatic funds transfer for the customer bill on the financial preset date. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the identified material includes at least one of: shredded paper, and waste, liquids. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one fillable receptacle location comprises a longitude coordinate and a latitude coordinate. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 12 , comprising installing a plurality of additional sensors each sensor in a refillable receptacle at a facility, each additional sensor having either an ultrasonic transducer or a laser and a microprocessor with a microprocessor data storage connected to a network. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 12 , comprising using computer instructions in the administrative data storage to instruct the administrative processor to transmit an alert to the client device of a driver to download the computed route of the aggregated fillable receptacle locations prior to transmitting the route to the client device of the driver. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , wherein the alert is at least one of: a text message, an audible alarm, an email, and a push notification.